Photos

Strasbourg’s christmas market taken from the terrace of the Cathedral.

From the terrace it is impossible to have a view on what’s directly below (for security reasons obviously). I’ve therefore took my camera, made sure it wouldn’t slip from my hands, streched my arms as much as I could and took a serie of pictures to have at least one for TE.

Here is the “best” or “least worse” -- as you wish ;-) – of course not technically the best but still it is an impressive view.


The christmas market exists since 1570 but for the last 10 years has become a huge “made in far away” products offering and is (this is what I think) slowly losing its charm. But still Strasbourg is a beautiful city and is even prettier with all the christmas lights and decorations.
More info on http://www.noel-strasbourg.com

Previous buildings on the site
The site of the Strasbourg cathedral was used for several successive religious buildings, starting from the Roman occupation (when a Roman sanctuary occupied the site) up to the building that is there today.
It is known that a cathedral was erected by the bishop Saint Arbogast of the Strasbourg diocese at the end of the seventh century, on the base of a temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but nothing remains of it today.
In the eighth century, the first cathedral was replaced by a more important building that would be completed under the reign of Charlemagne. Bishop Remigius von Straßburg (also known as Rémi) wished to be buried in the crypt, according to his will dated 778. It was certainly in this building that the Oaths of Strasbourg were pronounced in 842. Excavations carried out recently reveal that this Carolingian cathedral had three naves and three apses. A poem described this cathedral decorated with gold and precious stones by the bishop Ratho (also Ratald or Rathold). The basilica caught fire on multiple occasions, in 873, 1002, and 1007.
In 1015, bishop Werner von Habsburg laid the first stone of a new cathedral on the ruins of the Carolingian basilica. He then constructed a cathedral in the Romanesque style of architecture. That cathedral burned to the ground in 1176 because at that time the naves were covered with a wooden framework.
After that disaster, bishop Heinrich von Hasenburg decided to construct a new cathedral, to be more beautiful than that of Basel, which was just being finished. Construction of the new cathedral began on the foundations of the preceding structure, and did not end until centuries later.

To be followed…

Source: Wikipedia